Standard Mac Pro configurations now ship from Apple in February

Apple quickly sold out of its initial allotment of Mac Pro inventory when preorders began on Thursday, as new orders are now scheduled to ship in February.

When Apple's all-new professional-grade desktop first went on sale early Thursday, default configurations of the Mac Pro were advertised as available to ship by Dec. 30. That quickly slipped, however, and as of later in the morning, new orders are now listed as available to ship in February, with no specific date provided.

The newly advertised shipping date suggests Apple has already sold out of its initial allotment of Mac Pro machines. The February ship date applies to both the quad-core model starting at $2,999, and the 6-core version at $3,999.

One reason for limited availability could be that the new Mac Pro is being manufactured entirely in the U.S. Apple's efforts are unique for a modern electronics company, as most current gadgets are assembled in factories in the Far East.

Despite the delays and limited stock, Apple technically met its self-imposed December deadline for launching the new Mac Pro. However, it would seem that most who are interested in the machine will not in fact receive their order until well into 2014.